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EuroNanoForum 2005

Europe’s Premier Nanomedicine Conference of 2005

The conference built on the success of EuroNanoForum2003, and promoted developments in nanotechnology that are leading to innovative solutions for health and healthcare in Europe as part of an integrated and responsible approach. The format was a combination of workshops-on-demand, public debate, forums, and conference showing the state-of-the-art.

EuroNanoForum2005 attracted over 1100 participants, with 92 experts from 30 countries speaking over the 5 days!

CRITICAL ISSUES
EuroNanoForum2005 explored several critical issues, such as the ongoing competitiveness of the European healthcare industries; meeting the demands of an ageing population, the early diagnosis and potential cures, for example, of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and inflammatory diseases. It demonstrated the potential of nanotechnologies to address these issues, support the creation of high quality jobs, and underpin important EU objectives such as the Lisbon Agenda.

WORKSHOPS ON DEMAND
Workshops-on-Demand (WoD), were held all day on the Monday with topics proposed by relevant organizations and groups. Several of these groups were EC project based (e.g. WoD 4), others looking at specific topics and organized by relevant organizations (e.g. WoD 7), some by the UK MNT Network (e.g. WoD 1, 3, & 6), and one by a group of commercial lawyers and patent agents brought together by the IoN to jointly present a collaborative workshop (WoD 2).

PUBLIC DEBATE
Describing the potential benefits of NanoMedicine. This evening event was chaired by Susan Watts, Science Editor BBC Newsnight. There was a panel of four experts from across disciplines who briefly presented the potential in their field followed by questions from the floor. The questions followed two main themes: the way nanomedicine / technology is portrayed in the press and scientific questions on particular technologies. In addition to the public, delegates from the conference attended.

PRESENTATION OF PAPERS
Some ninety two speakers from over thirty countries made presentations in a combination of plenary and parallel sessions. The focus was science that would benefit the citizen of 2020. It was specifically not a scientist-to-scientist conference. It mixed industry with leading academics and, most importantly, was multi-disciplinary. Each session had a relevant Chair and Co-Chair, the latter usually from a relevant unit of the EU. The sessions had between five to seven speakers and included:

•Tissue Engineering, Nanoscaffolds, and Interfaces
•Drug Delivery and Pharmaceutical Development
•Cell Structure and Function
•The Promise of Nanomedicine
•Converging Technologies for Medicine and Healthcare
•Nano for Congenital / Degenerative Diseases
•NanoImaging and Functionalized Nanoparticles
•Engaging the Community – Views of Risk vs. Public Perception (Sponsored by the DTI)
•Affordable Cures – Addressing Diseases of the Developing World
•Impacting Society – Needs of the Ageing Population
(Sponsored by the DTI)
•Lab to the Clinic – Commercializing Nanomedicine
(Sponsored by the DTI)
•Novel Implants and Devices
•Nano Sensors and Diagnostics
•Nanoparticle Risk Assessment

EXHIBITION
Thirty eight companies and organizations exhibited at the event. Around half of these were UK SMEs looking to showcase their technology. The exhibition was open from Tuesday until Friday. The post-event internal IoN review noted that one success was the combined exhibition, poster displays, and catering. This ensured a large footfall for exhibitors.

POSTER SESSION
All Scottish schools were invited to send a delegation of 15-16 year old pupils interested in a career in science, together with their teachers. The event was over an afternoon starting with an actor describing life in 2020, talks by invited speakers, and a special tour of the exhibition.

PRESS PROGRAMME
Separate presentations from key speakers were made to the sixty science journalists attending. This has led to numerous positive articles on both the technology presented, and the event itself.

SOCIAL PROGRAMME
Providing an opportunity for networking in the evenings. This included a lively poster session and conference party, Civic Reception, Ceilidh, and Gala Dinner.